Devil's Oasis

Chapter 6

"Are you trying to get jumped?" A strong voice hisses, I jerk awake, blinking as I clutch the book in confusion. What the?

"Dominic?" I question, my voice weighted by sleep, a croak falls from my mouth, ungodly to my ears. Aren't I just the epitome of a sexual being. "What-"

"Ember, you left all the lights on, passed out in the bookstore with the blinds open. A measly lock won't keep you from being mugged," his deep voice growls as his sharp features come into my focus, my blurry eyes finally cleared of sleep.

"I locked the-" Dominic releases an annoyed hiss as he snags the book, his long fingers curl around pages to snap it closed with a practiced ease.

"That is a pathetic excuse for a lock and you know it." I frown as the fog clears from my mind.

"You broke in," I remark as if it's the obvious. His brow quirks up briefly before he rolls his aluminum gray eyes.

"It's a pathetic lock- a second grader could break into it," his calculated gaze caresses my features as he drops the book to the ground. "Talk to me- why are you sleeping in the store?" His voice softens slightly in worry.

"It's nothing, I just didn't want to make the walk home by the time I finished up with stock. It was already late." He shakes his head with a sigh.

"You need to get a bike- a car would be better," he gives a pointed look and I roll my eyes at him once more, his worry borders on overpowering. Yet still makes my heart skip a beat.

"I like walking- I find it relaxing, is that so bad?" I ask him sarcastically as I struggle to sit up in the bean bag chair. The soft cushion swallows my form effortlessly.

"Yes, little Ember, have you forgotten you're a single female who walks to and from work in the dark?" His frown deepens as a dark glint appears in his aluminum eyes. "You make for the perfect target, your small, often distracted, fem-"

"Are you done yet? Or do you care to go into detail about your own dark fantasies?" I scoff at him watching with interest as his features darken his eyes enraged.

"My own fantasies?" He asks with a slow chuckle, a fire dances in his eyes as his lips turn upwards with cruelty. "My own fantasies have nothing to do with threatening your life, your sanity? Most definitely," he chuckles and it takes me moments of staring at him to clue into what he means, my face flushes as I glare at him, shocked with how my body responded to his remark.

"You're always one to try to scare the living daylights outta me with your talk of harm to me- I don't want to hear of all of the dark nasties that could happen to me."

"Ember- you live in a tiny bubble and forget about the very real dangers. You could be killed, even in this town. Evil isn't stopped by innocence, you need to see the world- the real world," he speaks lowly making me frown as I stare at him.

"Dominic, if you're here to nag me, I'd rather walk home in a storm."

"Something has you bothered otherwise you wouldn't be kept here- not this late," he says gently with concern laced through his eyes. I struggle to look away, to not fall into the depths of his eyes.

"It's nothing- you're overreacting," I sigh, closing my eyes with a small shake, knowing my eyes will speak the truth louder than my voice. I can't lie for crap.

"Little Ember- you should have faith in me. I know you too well to not know something has bothered you," he tries again so very gently it makes my heart shudder at the tender concern and me to stand abruptly, unable to accept the emotions that course through me.